My head nearly went blank after everything that happened at the infirmary... I feel nauseous, and smiles of the people I've lost flashes fore my eyes... and Rudder is not among them... Mike won't be able to hold up a shield again. I'm amazed that the arm is actually still on. Usually we amputate it... for it to be limb is... I can't tell if it's better or worse...
I taught Mike a prayer for the ancestors. They do have a concept of heaven in this world, and that the dead watch over you... though it's not just ancestors, but those that care for you and have lived an honorable life. They never talk of it much, but for Mike, just knowing that he could speak to Rudder in the beyond was enough. He trusted me, despite me not being a priest or priestess here. I let him pray... but I know that it may not be enough... that you cannot replace all the hopes you had for the future of those close to you that die... that you can never have those experiences with them, make them smile or laugh... they are beyond your grasp, and never again can you surprise them, tease them or hold them. You can never again laugh with them...
We can only honor their time alive.
—-*—-
I got up as Vitis called me. The young man who was usually a bright and happy being had a shadow lingering over him of spite, anger and sorrow. I knew enough from his words to Mike, to know that Rudder's death was connected to Peony... and the thought made my skin crawl...
Cowardice... to a bushi... to a warrior, it is the highest insult... but when it comes to war it is no longer an insult... it is an accusation of incompetence, failure of chivalry and failure of obligation. Going to war and risking your life is a duty of a knight. If one cannot fulfill this duty, then he is not fit for the title of a knight, or the privileges of nobility.
Vitis stood up and lead me through the camp quietly... his hands keep clenching... he loosens his grip whenever he notices his action... but it's clear that his emotions are overwhelming him more than usual... I vaguely remember him chasing Peony down yesterday, so I figure he might already have beaten Peony up once... I never expected to see Vitis lose his temper... but I don't know what happened either.
—-*—-
Peony has been trapped between multiple stone walls, and it's clear that it has been collective work between multiple earth blessed knights. Peony is blocked on all sides, special sections stuck to where his arms had likely been, and even sections blocking over his shoulders to prevent him from in any way crawling up. The only thing sticking up is his head...
However... he's not the only one here. By a quick glance I'd say that every Celeste knight that can move on their own have seated themselves here at a good five meter distance of Peony's prison. They're watching him with spite in their eyes. Disgust. Hate. Though none has said anything you can feel it...the gut wrenching atmosphere is... thick... you can almost breathe in the hostility in the air... or split it like tofu with chopsticks...
I glance to Vitis to get things started, but with hints of spite in his voice he stares bitterly at Peony.
"You wanted me punished so badly, now go on and tell Celeste-sama what happened yesterday," he speaks coldly... I can feel the atmosphere tense at those words. Vitis is clearly speaking to Peony with hostility... but the ones that react the most vividly is the audience. Peony, however, doesn't seem to care and just looks at me calmly and confidently. He doesn't care about making friends after all.
"Before anything else I demand justice. You cannot keep me trapped in here." He brings up the contract between a vassal and their lord. As his lord, or at least as his acting lord, I must make sure he is treated rightfully and that he is not persecuted for false accusations. Of course, hearing this, the other knights' stares turn to full burdened glares. There's no friendliness left... no hesitation.
"Of course." I know why they trapped him, but until I myself condemn him he shall be treated fairly... but of course... at this point, believing Peony over the looks of the people around him is unreasonable. I glance to Vitis who... with a good amount of bitter hesitance follows my wish. His eyes are shooting warnings to Peony.
The walls crumble into pebbles, which Peony steps out of confidently as he brushes himself off. He turns to me and immediately glances to Vitis with hints of spite before kneeling down in front of me, even elegantly brushing his mantle back...
"I accuse Vitis Veilchenberg of dishonorably assaulting his subordinate and demand compensation, preferably in form of a duel."
I can see the spite in Peony's eyes, but also the pure confidence... He's confident that he will get this to work the way he wants it to. He's confident that he will win the duel against Vitis, and I too have no doubt Peony would win. He's a very skilled warrior despite the seemingly endless flaws he has...
Peony knows that he will win a battle against Vitis... and I cannot help but to feel that Peony wants to humiliate Vitis in front of all the people that look up to him. He's going for the throat. Probably because Vitis and multiple others chased him down yesterday. Judging from Peony's bruised jaw, Vitis really did punch him too... However, I do not care for a brawl compared to that...
"There is but one problem with your accusation, Peony Roselia," I speak calmly. Peony looks up at me calmly... too calmly. He already knows what I'm going to say and probably has an answer prepared for it. He's certain I will side with him over Vitis once I hear him out. I can sense it from way over here and it's making me want to retch. Peony is a smart person, but... there's something he has yet to fully grasp...
"Vitis Veilchenberg has accused you of cowardice. Unless this accusation is disproved you will not be able to make any accusations yourself." I pose the standing problem. I don't intend on getting started on Vitis losing his temper before I've covered this...but as expected, Peony has an answer ready for me, and his eyes go colder as he casts a glance to Vitis...
He probably feels like Vitis is trying to manipulate me by manipulating the facts... How did it become this way? Vitis always treated Peony well... cared for him and tried to get him to be close with others... and Peony, although hesitantly, always played along. I've seen these guys laugh together on the journey here. I've seen them struggle together and I've seen them help each other, even when Peony insisted on not wanting help... even... even when Peony mocked them for helping when they didn't need... then, as I think that I realize what Peony really is...
"The accusation is a lie, Celeste-sama, I have only done what would be best for the army."
...if it wasn't for the most of said army glaring at him, I would consider that he was telling the truth... though... I've no doubt that Peony he has some twisted self serving view of what happened. I've no pity left for him. Merely... disappointment...
"Then, do tell me what really happened, Peony Roselia," I reply calmly and read the mood... but the mood of the crowd twists into a twisted sort of malicious anticipation. Even Vitis doesn't look frustrated at least, just a plain and cold expression as he waits for Peony's answer.
Peony stays respectfully knelt down in front of me as he begins his plain and dry explanation of what happened on the battlefield.
"After the walls split us up, I ended up surrounded together with Sir Rudder Willowcreek. We were both heavily engaged just staying alive, and clearly sir Willowcreek was not up to par with the challenge and his shield seemed more of a bother against to many enemies and he received several injuries in short time. Our orders were to regroup behind the enemy line, and after observing our surroundings I determined that the probability of the rest of the unit reaching us before we were overwhelmed was close to non-existent. As such, I made the decision that would lose the least lives and resources. Of course, as demanded, I made sure to inform sir Willowcreek of this to let him prepare. Against an army much more than five time our size, every life is important, and this was the best option which also followed orders."
Since it's important for this, he uses Rudder's family name... but I feel nauseous at the words I hear. The logic is reasonable. If Rudder himself had argued Peony should save himself for that reason, then it would have been beautiful... but in an instant the being in front of me has become filthy. Tainted and stained... I don't need to know why everyone else anticipated his talk. They wanted him to say that out loud to me on his own. They wanted him to admit he abandoned Rudder on his own.
"Peony," I say calmly. He still looks confident... but I think that seeing my expression said enough. His confidence drops to hints of confusion as he goes over his arguments again.
"I suppose you heard of my argument with Helena somewhere, and that I'm not swayed by the feeling of pity and used logic against her." It wouldn't surprise me if that had reached them. He gives a slow nod at my words. I give him a cold yet calm look.
"That doesn't apply to the code of chivalry. You abandoned a man out there."
Peony grits his teeth.
"For the sake of the army, we would both have died otherwise."
I just calmly watch him for a moment as he begins to realize that his argument isn't working... and the men around us stand up.
"It's your duty as a knight to risk your life protecting him, betting on the unlikely chance that they would have saved the two of you," I say without my voice wavering even for a moment.
"Why would I risk my life for someone that hates me? He's even admitted to Mike that he would never give his life for me, why would I be obligated to do so for him?"
His eyes have a fire lit in them, and his fire bird lands on his shoulder, screeching at the other men watching the scene intensely. I stay quiet for a moment... not because I'm thinking... but to search for any hint of penance...
"Because you are human... because you are a knight... because he has someone waiting for him at home... you neither regret your actions, nor mourn them. You even speak badly of the dead. As a knight you are not just a warrior, Peony. You are a person the warriors look up to. You are a possible future commander... a commander that just left his ally to die to save his own life. I don't care for the reason. Rudder never asked you to leave, you abandoned him. In my eyes, your reasons are no better than excuses. Merely cowardice. I've no need for someone like that."
I condemn him.
I see his eye flame up. He is thinking as fast as he can for an argument against me... but Peony... you know perfectly well that though I'm using logic against you that I don't actually care... that it's all just a performance... yet Peony doesn't seem to give up.
"Give it up. The judgement has been made." Mike appears behind Peony with a cold look in his eyes.
I step back as stone walls form around him. He jumps away swiftly... but as I know from yesterday... no matter your ability to dodge or your speed... getting out of a coordinated prison is impossible. They make one large prison out of relatively thin walls and make it smaller bit by bit until they they can force him on his knees. A few fire mages swirl his small fire blasts away from the men unclasping his mantle and removing any emblems or embroidery of the coat of arms from House Celeste and from his own personal coat of arms that he was made to celebrate his knighting.
I'm... somewhat overwhelmed by the display in front of me. The punishment of cowardice is being stripped from your rank as knight... I checked that up and found it equal to the punishment of my former world... so why were they trapping him?
"Prepare the ritual!" I hear Vitis call out... his eyes with a light in them as if he's mourning the passing of Peony. They bring out Peony's spear from nearby, which I guess they forced from his hands yesterday by force. They had been expecting this and were prepared..
They violently break the spear apart over his head in silence... and the crack resounds... Peony has gone quiet now... he's not resisting. He's letting them do what they want now as long as they don't hurt him... and they don't... but they do pull him out of the stone cage and drag him off to... a stone coffin with holes in the lid. Peony clearly doesn't like this... but resisting doesn't help him. They trap him with stone covered hands inside the stone coffin and drag him through the camp... and the only explanation I get as they drag him off comes from Felix.
"The knight Peony Roselia is considered dead after this. It's a mock funeral... they'll let him go after this, but leave him without a weapon. 'Cowards don't need weapons' they call it."
I glance to Felix and then back to Peony being dragged off in the stone coffin... I don't think they're going to stop just at the mock funeral though... considering Peony's knowledge of my real gender and their lack of trust in him.